Risk
High
Date Discovered
August 11, 2009
Description
Microsoft Windows is prone to a remote code-execution vulnerability that may affect the Embedded OpenType font engine.
An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges. Successful exploits will completely compromise affected computers.
Recommendations
Deploy network intrusion detection systems to monitor network traffic for malicious activity.
Deploy NIDS to monitor network traffic for signs of suspicious or anomalous activity. This may help detect malicious actions that an attacker may take after successfully exploiting vulnerabilities in applications. Review all applicable logs regularly.Do not accept or execute files from untrusted or unknown sources.
Users should never accept files from untrusted or unknown sources, because they may be malicious in nature. Avoid opening email attachments from unknown or questionable sources.Do not accept communications that originate from unknown or untrusted sources.
Do not follow links or open email from unknown or untrusted sources.Implement multiple redundant layers of security.
Since this issue may be leveraged to execute code, we recommend memory-protection schemes, such as nonexecutable stack/heap configurations and randomly mapped memory segments. This tactic may complicate exploit attempts of memory-corruption vulnerabilities.Run all software as a nonprivileged user with minimal access rights.
To mitigate the impact of a successful exploit, run the affected applications as a user with minimal access rights.Disable any services that are not needed.
Since successful exploits may require users to view HTML content in email messages, consider disabling HTML rendering in email clients to mitigate the possibility of remote exploitation. Note that disabling HTML content in email clients may reduce functionality.
Updates are available. Please see the references for details.
Credits
Tavis Ormandy and webDEViL
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Disclaimer
The information in the advisory is believed to be accurate at the time of publishing based on currently available information. Use of the information constitutes acceptance for use in an AS IS condition. There are no warranties with regard to this information. Neither the author nor the publisher accepts any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage arising from use of, or reliance on, this information.
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